My husband has been dead 7 months now. I have been reading many books on being a widow. All are different and offer diverse perspectives. I found this book very helpful. Mrs. Neff has already gone down the road of “widowhood” and does an excellent job of lighting the way for others. She very clearly and thoroughly shows you what you might experience, challenges and pitfalls alike. I felt like she was taking me by the hand and walking with me.
Becoming a widow is something you cannot prepare for; there is no learning curve. The moment your spouse dies you are confronted with learning as you go. There is no right way or wrong way to grieve, it is very personal, but we all have common denominators we will face.
I found being a widow very confusing. There wasn’t a file I could neatly tuck it into and predict or control what I faced, emotionally or physically. Mrs. Neff’s book brought me not only reassurance but also encouragement in these dark moments. She helped me realize I wasn’t as alone as I felt. Others had gone through this and survived; she herself had made it.
She showed me there were choices I could make in this new life I had not chosen. One was realizing who in my life I could turn to and depends on to give me guidance and support. She gave me sound advice about finances, that of course drastically change when I was suddenly alone. She covered so many things that I would not have thought of in this fog I am walking through.
Unlike many books this one dared to approach some positive changes that would come into my life. Yes, positive! I know that is hard to even fathom when you are in such pain. She does not ignore the agony and heartache you are experiencing, as she does talk about it, neither is she negative and morose. Her approach is positive and upbeat without being offensive to a freshly broken heart.
I found help in glimpsing into the future even though I am not ready to venture there now. Mrs. Neff reminds us the importance of reaching out to others and comforting them as we have been comforted as the Bible speaks of in, 2 Corinthians 1:4, “Who comforted us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”
One of the things I appreciated most of all and made the book so relevant to me was the strong Biblical thread that ran through it. As a Christian that is the only way I am able to approach anything is through God’s Word. My book has many dog eared pages for me to refer back to the parts that were especially helpful. I highly recommend this to any woman who has lost her spouse. Thank you, Mrs. Neff, for this work of the heart.
I received this book free from the publisher Moody Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

When I saw Karen Ehman’s name on this book I KNEW it would be great, but it was better than that, it is outstanding! How wish this had been published when my girls were little! I tried very hard to make holidays special, but wracked my brain to find ways to make the many days in between them fun. This book was just what I needed! All is not lost because now I can use the ideas with my grandchildren.
This book’s celebrations did not require a lot of extra purchases and expense to carry them out. That is a plus for any family in this day and time. I especially liked that the throughout the book there was a Christian emphasis on family times spent together. The ideas were not only unique but very creative. Just the stuff great memories are made of.
Regular holidays are of course represented, with new traditions, games, and crafts. Many unusual calendar days not typically celebrated are included. There are sections on daily and weekly moments such as meal times, family night, sibling’s night, name day, spiritual miles stones, and reaching out to others in hard times. There is also a chapter on ways to keep connected with your children from the young to those heading to college.
I liked that it was divided into seasons where I can easily find what is appropriate for that time of year. The recipes are excellent, not a lot of fuss and things everyone would like, but delicious! Throughout the books are quotes, spiritual insights, and experiences of other women. This book is a keeper, and one you will want to use over and over!
I received this book free from Baker Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

I am always on looking for quality children’s Bible Story books. Not only for my grandchildren and to use in church nursery, but also I think they are one of the best baby gifts you can give. There are many qualities I look for in a book and this has all of them and a few extra.
One is well made and sturdy to hold up to little hands touching and handling, not only for the present, but for years to come. Some of my children’s Bible story books were passed down to their children. 99 stories from the Bible is both. It is a well-made book and a good value.
Secondly, for the book to be enjoyed and hold the child’s attention, it has to be very colorful with quality illustrations. This book also checks both of those boxes. The characters are not only cute but entertaining. Their bulbous noses and tiny eyes are different than most illustrations in this type of book and bring a fun factor into the pictures.
Most Bible story books have just a few stories, but I was impressed this one had 99! Even though it contained so many it was not big and cumbersome. The Old and New Testament stories are just one to two pages each, just enough for little minds to grasp. While the stories may be short they do an excellent job to sharing the very basic facts of the biblical accounts.
While this is for preschool age children, as they grow older it would be a wonderful learning to read Bible story book for the beginning reader. How proud they would be at their accomplishment and it would be yet another way to instill God’s Word in their hearts. This would be a great baby gift (one for grandparents too), birthday gift, and to keep in the church nursery.
I received this book free from the publisher Kregel Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.